Buffalo Rumblings
During the Buffalo Bills’ 31-19 defeat of the New Orleans Saints, running back James Cook rushed for a touchdown just before the first quarter expired. The score, a one-yard run up the middle, marked the eighth-straight game (dating back to 2024 NFL season) that the Cook has found the end zone with his legs. That’s a new franchise record!
Prior to the game, Cook was tied with Robb Riddick (1985), O.J. Simpson (1977), and Cookie Gilchrist (1962) for the longest streak in team history. Now the honor is his alone.
Rushing touchdowns isn’t the only thing Cook has been racking up. Sunday marked the third-straight game in which he had at least 100 yards rushing. After just 44 yards in Week 1 (although he did have 58 receiving yards that day), Cook has turned on the burners and proven why he’s worthy of that contract he spent the summer lobbying for. He had 132 yards on the ground in Week 2, 108 in Week 3, and 117 this week.
Cook entered Week 4 with the second-most rushing yards in the NFL. He was just 54 yards behind Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. Travis Etienne, Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) trailed Cook by 14 yards, Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks) trails by 40, while Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens) is 42 yards behind Cook.
Cook’s 100-plus-yards-from-scrimmage day combined with his touchdown marks his fourth-consecutive such game. That’s the longest streak to begin a season by a Bills player since Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson had nine consecutive 100 yard/1-plus TD games back in 1975.
Put in league-wide terms, Cook is just the fourth player since 1990 to start a season with four straight games while gaining 100-plus scrimmage yards and finding the end zone at least once.
There’s still four months to go, but so far James Cook is proving he was right in campaigning for a new, high-dollar contract this summer.
